


Liquid Courage

by Dynamic_Ideation



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - College/University, Drunk Sex, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Love Confessions, Smut, drunk!iris, jealous!Barry, of course there is look who wrote this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-27 01:02:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8381791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dynamic_Ideation/pseuds/Dynamic_Ideation
Summary: When Iris comes to Barry's college to visit, all the guys are all over her; predictably, he's jealous. What he doesn't know is after a drunken night at a frat party they'll do some things they shouldn't have done, and Iris will realize who it is she really wants.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sendtherain](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sendtherain/gifts).



> I've been struggling with some major life events and depression and the like, so I haven't been mentally up to writing until now. My darling sendtherain took the time to read and comment on all my fics, which made me feel so loved and appreciated as a writer when I needed it the most! Thanks, Love. Thanks to Das and Wanderer for their support as well. *hugs*
> 
> Hope I haven't lost my touch!

The air was crisp, the taste of it clean, the cool undertones sneaking past the heat, signaling the approach of fall. They hadn't seen each other in six months, and it was weird, to say the least. They hadn't been apart for that long, ever, but Barry had decided to take an internship in the summer between his sophomore and junior years and hadn't been able to get away to visit. 

Of course, Iris found this unacceptable. Joe had given her money for a plane ticket and now she was only minutes away. Barry sat on the 100-year-old stone steps outside his dorm and waited, chin in hand, trying not to look too eager.  

A yellow cab screeched to a halt in front of him and his head jerked up, now alert. He forgot to breathe as the rear door came open and one of her delicate bare legs extended out and touched the ground. When she stood time slowed. She glanced left and then right, the wind blowing her hair dramatically, like one of those ladies’ shampoo commercials. Barry always thought she should be in one of those anyway.

She wore a pink floral halter dress that showed off the smooth skin of her shoulders, and a tantalizing amount of thigh. She looked luminous, like a model under professional lights. It was almost like she was trying to impress him. He suppressed that thought quickly. Their eyes met, and Iris’ face broke out in that one-of-a-kind Iris West smile. 

“Barry!” She squealed. Students crossing the green yard turned to stare. Iris had always been loud. Barry didn’t mind it though; he liked to show her off.

She skittered up to him, incredibly fast on those incredibly high shoes she was always wearing, and jumped into his waiting arms.  

Barry wrapped his forearms around the back of her thighs, right beneath her bum, and hefted her up. Shrieking, Iris kicked her legs in excitement as her voice echoed against the aging parapets of the residence hall.

“I missed you, Bear!” 

“I missed you too, so much.” She had no idea. Everyone outside was looking at them now, and if they thought Iris was his girlfriend, well. He couldn’t be responsible for their assumptions.

 

He paid the cab driver and lugged her bags toward the door. So many bags. “Iris,” he griped, faking exasperation but enjoying her name on his tongue again, “It’s a three day weekend, you couldn't possibly need this much stuff.”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Please. A girl can never be too prepared. I could meet the man of my dreams at any time.” He had no comment for that. 

He carried her things to his room, trying not to trip under the weight, to show her how strong he was. Thankfully, his idiot roommate wasn’t there.

“Brody’s not home, thank the universe.”

“Oh my God, is his name literally Brody?” Barry nodded solemnly. “I can’t even handle how Dudebro that is,” Iris giggled, covering her lovely smile with her hand.

“If I had my way, you’d never experience just how Dudebro he is firsthand, but I don’t know if we’ll get that lucky.” Barry set her bounty of luggage on the floor with a sigh and rolled his now stiff shoulders. 

“Hungry?”

“All you can eat dorm food? Let’s _do_ this!” 

 

One cool thing about dorm meal plans were the guest meal options. Barry had opted for them, unsure of who would use them at the time, but who else would it have been? Iris wriggled with excitement, clapping her hands together like a big kid. She’d always liked buffets. No one would ever believe someone as little as she was could eat the way she did, but Barry had witnessed it time and time again at their dinner table growing up. 

“I’m just so excited!” She looped her arm through his.

“I couldn’t tell,” Barry replied with a smirk as he escorted her towards the salad bar, his hands in his pockets, his right elbow crooked slightly to encourage her touch. 

“Shut up, Bear,” she punched him playfully in his ribs. He pretended to be hurt, clutching his side with his free hand. He hadn’t realized how much he missed this. Missed her. Her feather-light touch, the scent of the Dolce & Gabbana designer perfume she liked to wear, the click of her tall pink heels on the worn linoleum. It was all comforting and familiar. Iris chattered away about making sure to eat lots of shrubbery before going for all the greasy, salty, cheesy goodness she was really after. Barry simply listened, as he usually did, while they piled their plates high. 

Other students stared, almost as much as the ones outside. They tried to be slick about it, but when Iris made eye contact they cut away fast.

“Oh my God, Bear, is it just me or are we being watched?”

“Yeeeaahhh…well, you’re new around here, and you’re really hot, so they’re bound to stare.”

“You think I look hot, Bear?” She gave him a teasing grin. He powered through it, trying to keep from blushing.

“It’s scientifically proven that 99.8% of all human males think you’re hot, and the other .2% don’t have eyes.”

“See, this is why I missed you so much.”

“Plus,” he continued, with a drop of his eyes, “Everybody’s wondering what you’re doing with _me_.” He could tell by her face that she was getting ready to tell him how ridiculous he was being, but he didn’t give her the chance. “Let me introduce you to my friends.” 

They set their trays down at a table with several guys who were obviously brainiacs.

“You guys, this,” he held out his hands in introduction, “is Iris.”

They all oooohhhhed at her, as if Barry had unveiled some piece of rare art. Well, in a way he had.

“So, _yooouuu’re_ Iris. We’ve heard all about you.”

“Yeah, Barry talks about you all the time.”

“ _All_ the time.” 

Barry scritched the back of his neck. These guys knew nothing about playing it cool. Iris didn’t seem to catch on, though. 

“Oh, he does, does he? I sure hope he’s not spilling the beans about my brownie obsession.”

“Sorry, we’re being kinda rude. I’m-“

“Wait, don’t tell me. You have the red hair and the sense of humor. You’re Sam. You’re quiet and always have the chem book even when you don’t have to study so you’re Alex. You’re even taller than Barry so you must be Asher.”

“You’re good! You have been granted access to dine with us,” Sam the ginger jokester said, gesturing to the seats. “Feel free to take this seat right next to me.”

“Oh, no you don’t,” Barry jumped in, taking the opportunity to gather Iris under his arm and guide her into a seat next to him, well away from Sam. 

“What?” Sam held his palms up, feigning innocence. Iris could only blush and giggle.

Barry’s geek friends immediately launched into monologues about physics and quantum mechanics in an attempt to impress her, and when she complimented them on all their hard work and knowledge, they stammered and their cheeks went pink. She was so sweet and down to earth, it caught them off their guard.

“We’re doing a presentation for the chair of the department. There will be at least three explosions involved,” Sam rubbed his palms together in anticipation.

Alex looked at Iris and stammered, “It would, uh, be really cool for you to come, you know, if you wanted to.”

“Aww guys, that’s so sweet. I would, but I haven’t seen Bear in ages and I need to spend as much quality time with him as I can.” Barry nodded once. _So there._

As they got up to leave Iris said,“It was nice meeting you guys. I’m glad Barry made such charming friends.” She smiled and waved.

Asher caught Barry by his sleeve, lowering his voice. “Dude. Marry her _now_. If you don’t, I will.”

Barry waved him off, but inwardly he was preening. And hell, marriage was the plan if only he could get over that little hump of confessing his undying love to her.

“Will what?” Iris asked.

“Nothing.” _Sigh._

“Your friends are sweet.”

“Yeah, they’re great. They all loved you. They were eating out of your hand.”

“Aw, don’t be jealous, Bear.” She tugged playfully at the collar of his shirt. “You’re the only nerd who’s allowed to eat out of my hand.”

If she only knew. 

 

Barry groaned when he heard the sound of Limp Bizkit (which Brody considered “vintage”) coming through the door. Brody was definitely home this time, laying across their shared futon with his limbs all over.

“Dude, did you-,” He took one look at Iris and cut off his sentence in order to eloquently say, “Holy…” as he sat straight up, a devilish grin on his face.

Iris gave him a cautious wave.

“Hi, I’m-“

“Iris.” Brody came over to shake her hand, holding on to it a bit too long, brushing his thumb over her knuckles, totally ignoring the territorial look on Barry’s face. “Barry always says how hot you are. Guess he wasn’t lying.”

Barry facepalmed. “Brody…”

“My bad, Bro, my bad!” to Iris, “Hey, did you want to sit? Let me get that…” He swept the week-old pizza boxes and crushed beer cans from the futon and onto the floor. Iris looked on with raised eyebrows while Barry just looked embarrassed.

“You know what, I’m just gonna use the restroom.” She said.

“Alright, you do that.”

“Alright, I am, thanks.” Iris gave Barry a “holy shit this guy is thirsty” look.

As soon as she shut the door; “Dude, that’s your girlfriend? No wonder you talk about her all the time.”

“Oh no, she's not my girlfriend-” 

“You mean to tell me she's just lettin' you hit that?”

“ _No,_ it's not like that at all-”

“I never knew you had it in you, Bro.” Barry sighed in exasperation. He just couldn’t handle Brody in large doses.

When Iris returned, Brody did his best to monopolize her time. He crowded her in on the couch, sliding closer to her as she tried to inconspicuously slide away. She threw nervous glances at Barry as Brody regaled her with stories about how much he could drink and how much lacrosse he played.

“That’s…very impressive, Brody, I bet you’re Mr. Popularity around campus.”

Brody visibly puffed out his chest. “Well, I wouldn’t say all that…”

_Yeah, you would and yeah, you do_ , Barry thought to himself, stewing in his own annoyance.

“Oh hey, Barry, we have that thing!” Iris pulled out her phone to check it and tapped the screen.

“What thing?”

“You know,” she replied, her face contorting in desperation, “that one thing off campus!” She tapped her phone screen again for emphasis. 

Barry finally caught on and gratefully leapt up from his chair, which was tucked under his lofted bed. “Oh yeeeeeaaaaah! That one thing! We’re already running late for that thing, better get a move on!”

“It was nice meeting you, Brody.”

“I’ll see you later, Iris,” he said suggestively.

“Yeah, sure, okay.” She grabbed Barry’s hand and yanked him out of the door.

“Obviously, he’s really into you,” Barry whispered to her as her shut the door behind him.

“Ew, he’s not my type at all.”

“You mean the objectively attractive, frat boy alpha male isn’t your type?”

“You mean the objectively douchey man-child? _Definitely_ not my type.” Barry could only laugh and be grateful.

He was glad to have her to himself again. That evening, Friday, they went to the mall where Iris bought even more stuff to put in her already stuffed suitcases. She made Barry carry her bags and wait while she tried on outfits. He’d always pretended to hate it, but secretly he loved shopping with her. Especially the part where she modeled short dresses. She bought at least one new bikini every year; he very much looked forward to those times. 

Later they saw an original theater production on campus; a commentary on the 99% versus The Man that was both a musical and a satire and somehow worked. 

Saturday afternoon they went to both the history and science museums, where Barry went full nerd and Iris pretended to understand his Mensa babble as he pontificated excitedly over the new developments in deep space aeronautics or something along those lines. Just when he thought she’d tuned him out from sheer boredom, she would ask a pointed question that allowed him to go off on a completely different tangent, marveling over a new topic and waving his long hands enthusiastically. That was one of the reasons he loved her so much. 

They walked down frat row on the way back and it was colorful, to say the least. There were empty liquor bottles and crushed beer cans scattered across run-down lawns, with alternating blasts of overly loud metal and rap music. 

In front of one particular house -Brody’s frat, if Barry remembered correctly- were half-drunk idiots tossing beanbags on their front lawn, hitting absolutely nothing. It was all of five in the afternoon.

“Classy,” Iris mumbled to Barry.

The idiot nearest to the wrought-iron gate came to lean over it, leering at Iris. He smiled, and it was quite the smile. Truthfully, the guy was all around beautiful, like an Abercrombie and Fitch model.

Barry had seen this guy around. Backwards hat, blond, sleeves ripped off his tee shirts to show his muscle-bound arms. Captain of the squash team or some bullshit like that. He’d always looked straight through Barry, and it was the same that day. Barry officially couldn’t stand him. 

“Hey,” the guy said, acting like Barry wasn’t there.

“Hey,” Iris said back, her face friendly but wary. They didn’t stop walking. Abercrombie guy simply teetered along with them.

“I’m Carter.”

“Nice to meet you Carter, I’m Iris. This is Barry.”

“What’s up, Dude,” Carter barely even looked in Barry’s direction. “Iris. that’s a pretty name,” his perfect teeth glinted as he gave her what would be a smoldering look if he wasn’t already two sheets to the wind. “So Iris, we’re throwing a party tonight, right here. You should come.” He handed her a flier.

She took it and smiled politely as Barry silently fumed. “Okay, I’ll think about it.”

“Don’t think about it. Just come.”

“Bye, Carter.”

“See you tonight, Iris.” He looked her up and down as they start to pull away.

Naturally, Barry was livid.

“Apparently he thinks because he looks like he stepped off a Men’s Fitness cover and is backed by his Daddy’s trust fund money he can do whatever he wants.”

“Let’s be real, though. He was one hot ass frat boy,” Iris said with a half-smirk. Barry grumbled expletives under his breath. “I know how to fix that guy. Come to the party with me.”” She looked at Barry with a mischievous smile on her face and lifted an eyebrow.

“No way.”

“Bear, why not?!” she pouted, sticking out her luscious bottom lip. Why not? Because these were the same kinds of guys who beat him up in grade school and laughed at him now. Barry would never be welcome at a party like this. He told her so. “Let go of your insecurities for five minutes and just come. It’ll be like going on safari. Seeing all the wild, feral frat boys in their natural habitat. You can write a thesis paper on it.”

He agreed, because what Iris wanted she got, but he was sure he’d regret it.

As it turned out, the party was the frattiest of all frats. The brown carpet and dark furniture effectively hid all the stains that just _had_ to be there from the residual tomfoolery that had gone on over the years. Probably beer, throw up, and other various… bodily fluids. 

There were hordes of scantily clad young women, and throngs of horny, mouth-breathing young men. Every one of them was screaming at the top of their lungs. It didn't matter what the reason was, they were all yelling. Also, they were all piss-the-bed drunk. On the walls the pictures alternated between professional photos of the members of the fraternity pretending to be decent human beings and posters from 90’s grunge bands.

Barry felt totally out of place, but Iris gently coaxed him out of his shell. Mainly by plying him with liquor. Iris had picked out some clothes for him that made him look a little more GQ model and a little less Nat Geo scientist.

After a couple of keg stands they were both stumbling around, bumping into people and anything with a sharp edge. Everybody thought, as before, that she was girlfriend and they were looking at him with a new respect. 

He got a lot of raised eyebrows and nods of acknowledgment that put him somewhere between feeling irritated and validated. He tried to correct them but no one was listening. Iris wasn’t bothering to correct anyone. She would talk with girls but every time anyone with a penis came close she’d say, “Oh, sorry, I’m here with my boyfriend.” She would take Barry’s hand and lead him away. Barry would just smirk at them and shrug.

A couple of hours later saw them completely sloshed like everyone else, getting murdered in a game of beer pong. “Barry,” Iris slurred, in a volume much higher than necessary, “you are SUCH an azzhole.”

“Why, wha’ I do?”

“You’re blocking the beer.”

Barry looked down stupidly, and saw he was leaning against the last box of PBR.

“Gimme ‘nother can of that garbage. College fuckin’ white boys and PB-fuckin-R.”

Iris had never been a big drinker; a few tall boys and she could barely see straight, and she’d already had much more than that.

“Yeah well, the college white boys can handle it, lightweight.” One of their opponents teased. 

“I can handle it!” Iris declared. She cracked the beer open, started to toss it back, and promptly lost her balance. She teetered backwards, then stumbled forwards. Barry caught her by the waist and she leaned against him, eyes closed, swaying and humming to music that wasn’t even playing right then. 

“Your boyfriend had better get you back to his dorm before you hurt yourself.”

“Bet you guys will get yourselves into plenty of trouble tonight.”

“She’s not-“ Barry started.

Iris cut him off. “Don’ you worry ‘bout what trouble we get ourselves into. None of your damn biznizz.”

Barry snuck the beer out of her hand and started to sidle her towards the coatroom at the same time. “I think we’re gonna call it a night, guys.”

“Have fun and remember to wrap it up.”

“Oh, I’m gonna _wrap it up_ , alright.” Iris called over her shoulder. The frat boys broke out laughing, and Barry could barely contain the flush in his cheeks at the innuendo. 

Speakers almost as tall as Iris started blaring the latest Lil’ Wayne song, so of course Iris wanted to dance. She stopped in her tracks so suddenly Barry almost toppled over her. 

“This is my SONG!”

“Oooooh, no. No way, Iris. We should go.” 

“Come on, Bear!” She shouted over the music. The next thing he knew, she was pressed up against him, shaking and gyrating and all sorts of other movements he didn’t know she was capable of. Barry just stood frozen in shock. At least, as much as he could considering he was drunk off his ass. There was lots of crotch grinding; definitely more than Barry could handle. _When the hell did she learn to dance like this?_ Damn it, he was already lame enough, the last thing he needed was an awkward dance floor boner.

A guy tried to get her attention, to coax her to come do those sexy wiggles all over the front of his pants, but Iris wouldn’t even look at him. “I’m taken.” He didn’t seem to get the message. He grabbed her, harder than he should have, so Barry shoved him.

“Dude, you heard her, she’s taken.” The guy flicked him off, but he moved away quickly. Barry was surprised at himself, but damn proud. A little liquor made people do things they might normally not have the courage to do.

“Look at you, Bear! Mr. Tough Guy!” Iris flexed a tiny bicep, pretending to be a bodybuilder.

“Couldn’t let that asshole treat you like some plaything. Not when you’re _you_.” The word came out with such reverence that Iris was overcome. She looked down at the floor, shy. 

“You’re such a flatterer.”

“I’m serious, Iris. You’re the best person I’ve ever met and everybody can tell how amazing you are. I mean, look at what’s been happening. You have all these guys after you. Everybody’s been after you all weekend,” Barry grumbled, and he was sure Iris could hear the jealousy in his voice.

“No, they haven’t.”

“Oh, yes they have.”

“Well, I’m not interested in them because they’re not like _you_.” Iris rested the tip of her index finger lightly in the center of his chest. Before he had the chance to pull a bashful grin, she was yelling in his face, her eyes wide, fingers clenched in his shirt. “Barry!” 

“Yes?” He was sure she was getting ready to yell “Eureka!” all while pulling him backwards into a corner as she lost her balance. He stumbled right with her, catching himself with his arms against the wall, realizing he had her caged in the corner in a very…sensual way. 

“ _None of them are like you_. I almost forgot how much I miss having you around.” She smoothed petite, manicured hands over the wrinkles she put in his shirt and her eyes got glassy and her lip began to tremble.

“Aww, you don't miss me.” Putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close seemed like the right thing to do at that moment. He was a touchy-feely drunk.

“Course I do.” She slurred. 

They stood embracing each other for a long time, not realizing what they were doing until Iris started to sway to the music in her head, and then they were drunkenly slow dancing at a frat party as Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz blared all around them.

Barry thought about how low his hands had to drop to rest on the small of her back.

“You're short,” he teased her.

“You're tall, Stretch.” 

He cackled, and leaned down to hug her.

_I'm drunk as fuck,_ he thought. 

Iris did him one better. She returned his hug, running the tips of her fingers up and down in back in a feathery touch. Then she kissed his cheek. When he looked at her, confused, she kissed his mouth, her lips lingering on his, nibbling on his bottom lip. Naturally, Barry panicked. A slow, stupid kind, but panic all the same.

“We should head home. Right now. Home.”

“Whhhhhyyyyy, I’m having fun!”

“You’re _really_ drunk, Iris.”

“You gotdamn right I am.” She toasted to herself and tossed back the last of the beer that materialized in her hand. Barry looked around dumbly, trying to figure out where she got it from. “You are too, Bear.”

That was true. I was making it that much harder wrap his head around how his childhood

crush, best friend, the _love of his life,_ has just kissed him, in a decidedly not platonic way.

He eyed her soft lips, suddenly hungry, unable to tear his gaze away. “Yeah, I’m definitely drunk,” he huffed out, as he put his arm fully around her teensy waist and kissed her again; this time their tongues got tangled in messy, deep, PBR flavored kisses.

Abruptly Barry pulled himself away, trying to take stock of exactly what it was he was doing, what _they_ were doing. This couldn’t be a good idea.

“We gotta go.” He had to half-carry her into the bedroom were all the coats were, where she’d left the fall jacket she’d worn. Jackets flew as he dug through the pile with a vengeance, trying to get them  Iris grabbed him by the lapels of his shirt and fell back on to the bed, pulling him down with her. 

So there he was on top of her, his hand hot on her thigh. There Iris was with her arms around his neck, tugging him down to her, his weight crushing her into the worn blue comforter. 

_Holy shit._ He kissed her like he'd never share another kiss in his life. Maybe this was a good idea after all.

A loud creak sounded as the door swung open; someone walked in on them, startling them. 

“Dude!” A one of the beer pong frat boys stood there, beer in hand and eyebrows raised, nodding his approval.

“Jesus Christ, man.” Barry ground out, shaking himself out of his stupor. 

“Oh shit...my bad, guys. Carry on.” He slammed the door behind him, laughing. 

“We need to get home, right now.” Barry tried to jump up before Iris realized he had a boner.

“Oh my God, do you have a boner?” she said in a drunken giggle. He felt his face go hot and knew he was lobster red, all the way down to his shoulders. “You should let me help you with that…” she reached a slender hand out towards Barry Jr.

“No, no, no, we gotta go!”

Barry helped Iris stumble down the street on her tall shoes until her legs quit on her; then he swept her delicate feet out from under her, arms beneath her knees and her back, and carried her the rest of the way, the cheers of the frat idiots as their soundtrack.

“Dumbazzes,” he muttered.

“None a them are like you,” Iris hiccuped against his chest.

She was tiny but still damn heavy, especially after a few blocks and a couple flights of stairs. Barry staggered his way down the hall with her, banging into door frames, zigzagging and bouncing like a ping pong ball, getting irritated yells from the coeds on the other sides of the walls.

He managed to open the door and get her inside, steadily bumping into things. He knocked over their lamp, got his feet tangled in the cord, and stumbled backward into what must have been the pointiest edge on his bunk. He wouldn’t be able to see the bruise in the morning, but he’d feel it. 

“Bear,” Iris cooed into his shoulder.

“Oh, _now_ you wanna wake up.” He settled her onto the futon as gently as he could. He slipped tonight’s pair of ridiculous but sexy high heels off of her. _Her_ _legs. Wow._ Everything else would stay on, though.

“Oh em gee, are you trying to undress me?” She giggled.

“No, course not,” he slurred back. 

“Bear, would you cuddle me?”

_Shit._ He winced and groaned. That could end with him having a painfully hard and neglected erection but what was he gonna do, tell her no?

“Come on.” 

So he obliged, helping her climb up into his bunk, squeezing his long body in around her, bracketed by the smooth, hard wood of the frame. There was barely enough room for him when he was alone so the two of them were sardined in, melded together so tight Barry could barely tell where Iris ended and he began. Sheets and blankets were tangled, clothing was bunched in an chaotic array of colors and fabrics. Her hand was fisted in his shirt and her head tucked against his chest, snoring gently. Even her fucking drunken snores were adorable. Barry was just so gone. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. 

Comfortable. Sensual. Natural. These were words Barry would use to describe being curled around Iris West in his very own bed. It felt like this was the way it was meant to turn out, and it made Barry feel warmer, safer, more secure than he’d felt in a long time. She rolled over and tucked back into him for warmth, little-spoon style, humming softly. Barry snuggled closer, too, taking note of how perfectly she fit against him. 

It _was_ perfect, and it lulled Barry to sleep; for at while, at least, before his dick decided to get hard again. After all, it was Iris he was spooning with. She was soft, and she was petite, and she was warm, and she smelled excellent, and he was really drunk. And his arms were around her tiny waist, and his face in the silky skin at the nape of her neck, and his man-parts against the glorious ass he loved to admire when she wasn’t looking. 

At that point he rolled onto his back, just to lessen the crotch-to-ass contact. Iris grumbled about being cold and draped herself halfway across his chest and drew the covers up to her chin. It was…better. At least none of their junk was touching anymore. He put his other arm back around her shoulders and wondered what it would be like if he could have this all the time, and what she’d say in the morning when she remembered all of this.

 

Barry thought he might have been asleep for a while, because he suddenly became alert when Iris threw her leg over him and buried her face into his chest. He was just starting to drift off again when he realized she was _stroking_ his chest. In a very deliberate manner. 

“Are you awake, Bear?”

“No,” he squawked, trying to show some restraint.

Iris giggled, then she yanked down the collar of his shirt and drew her tongue from the center of his chest up past his collar bone, to the hollow of is throat, all the way to his chin. 

The electric shock that shot through him almost brought him all the way out of his drunken stupor. Wide-eyed, he stared at her, confused. 

Then he was kissing her again, his palm spread over the curve of her hip, the other sliding down onto her ass, not stopping to think or reason.

Iris’ breathing grew heavier as he inched up her skirt. Barry felt her breath warm and damp on his pecs, deepening as he took his time. He had to; he was unwrapping a gift. All he could think about was getting between her legs. His thigh eased between hers; Iris pressed against it appreciatively. She moaned in approval as she canted her hips up for a better angle; Barry could feel her skimpy, lacy panties getting slick. 

He lengthened and thickened himself, pushing against his jeans. The zipper was now a cage, uncomfortable against his growing erection.

“You’re awake now. I can feel you,” Iris whispered in his ear.

“Yeah?”

“Feels good.” When he looked up she’d straddled him, the material of her skirt hiked up, just below the meeting of those thighs of hers. She rolled herself against the outline of his dick, panting as she did. Dampness cut through his jeans. Watching Iris not-so-dry hump him was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, something out of his teenage wet dreams. He wanted to explode. He was in such deep shit; but there was nowhere he’d rather be. 

She licked her lips at him, then dismounted. Barry let go of a breath he hadn't realized he’d been holding. It didn’t last long because Iris was unbuttoning his pants. He lay there propped up on one elbow in a trance, wondering if he was really seeing what he was seeing. 

She freed his manhood from its denim cage, and now that it was out it was quickly starting to stand full and proud.

“Oh, Barry!” Iris cooed in a way that told him that she was impressed. She wrapped her tiny hand around his hard-on and stroked up and down the shaft. Barry inhaled sharply at the feel of her touch, willing himself not to pass the fuck out. She held his eyes with her own, sporting a mischievous smile until she parted her lips and brought them down to encircle the head of his cock. He clutched at the rails to keep from floating out of the bed. 

“Iris, are you-“ _sure about this_ , he was trying to ask. But when she took a slow pull off his dick, making a gentle slurping sound as she raised her head, he couldn’t bring himself to argue. Instead he clenched the rails of his bunk in a white-knuckled grip and hissed.

Iris enthusiastically squeezed her hand around the base of his now stone-hard dick, her head bobbing to reach it with her mouth. She licked her lips and kissed the head, smearing the wetness from her tongue with her puckered, pouty mouth. 

Barry wanted to slap himself to see if this was really happening. He knew it was; he’d had some intense dreams, but none could match the intensity of _actually having Iris’ mouth on him._  

“Iris,” he moaned, because it was the only word he could remember. He plead with her, begged her to stop but to never stop, told her how much he adored her, told her all of his secrets and sins, all in the one simple word; “Iris.” 

His hand went to her shoulder of its own accord, urging her on. She looked up at him and grinned wickedly as she tongued the underside of the head. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He watched as she swallowed him down. 

“Holy Jesus. Jesus fuck.” Barry grimaced and groaned, his entire lower half raising off the bed with each pull of Iris’ mouth. She was making him incoherent. It would be over embarrassingly soon if he didn’t get a hold to himself. 

 

_Go on the offensive,_ the thought suddenly occurred to him. He had just the right offense in mind. 

 

He stretched his long frame all the way out until he lay flat on his back. He pulled one smooth brown thigh over the top of his head, still wondering if this was real. He pulled down until she was flush on his face, all of her softness, all of her wetness, hell bent on returning the favor. He did, until every corner of the old room echoed with the passion in her voice.

Iris pulled off his cock with a throaty moan, because there was no way she could concentrate. Barry missed the wet heat of her mouth, but he was proud of his work and glad he was not going to come already and mess things up. He would have breathed a sigh of relief, but…

 Iris ground down on his face, her hands up against the ceiling to brace herself. She rotated her hips in small circles while Barry chased her with his mouth. 

They went on like that for a while, Iris raining down wetness and Barry’s tongue dancing in the storm

until, “Barry, I need you.” 

He sat up too fast and banged his head on the ceiling before he got it right. Iris just cackled maniacally next to him as he brought this hand up to his head. 

“Poor baby! Come here.” She replaced his hand with hers and stroked the sore spot. The tender kiss she placed on his forehead probably healed him completely, and if not it didn’t matter because the sloppy kiss she drew him into that made him forget what pain even was. 

“Barry, I need you right now,” she whispered against his mouth. 

Another fumbling change of positions had them both giggling like idiots. Finally, Iris lay back.

She was breathtaking, all starry-eyed and flushed skin and drunken smiles. Barry took a moment to look at her. She was perfect, and he wanted to ravish her. 

So he fit a pillow under her hips, angling her up towards him. With hands on the backs of her knees he guided her thighs all the way up against her breasts, and finally, he sunk into her depths and they both breathed a sigh of relief. 

His hands dug sharply into her hips and he drove into her, hard, all of the strength in his long frame behind it. Iris cried out, a desperate plea that spurred him on, and then they were lost to the rhythm of their bodies colliding. It was sweaty, and it was raw, it was blurry and backwards as they made frantic, intoxicated love. 

She hummed moans into their sloppy kisses, which tasted of cheap beer and heady lust. The wooden bunk frame slammed against the wall, chips of plaster clattering to the floor. The next-door neighbors were probably wide awake and traumatized. Barry and Iris didn’t care in the least. 

“Yes,” she whimpered desperately in his ear, “Yes. Yeeesssss.” She gripped the back of his neck, holding on for dear life. The sharp sting of her fingernails excited him further. He couldn’t stop the words and sounds from flying out of his mouth.

“Mmmmmm, Iris, it’s so good. Iris, it’s so good. Iris.”

Iris threw her head back as she drew closer to the edge, her mouth open wide, veins standing out of her neck. And she was loud. The entire floor could probably hear them. It made Barry fuck her harder, and it was just what she wanted.  

“Harder, harder, harder, harder, I’m coming…”

Then her back was arching, curving to a “c” as the orgasm lifted her entire upper half off the mattress. Barry went right with her, both of them forgetting there was another world outside of what they were making each other feel; there was only the moment and their bodies and the white-hot inferno of completion.

“Oh my God,” Iris moaned as she flopped back onto the mattress. Barry relaxed too, stretching out on top of her. “Oh my God, you’re amazing, Barry.” she pulled his head down for another sloppy kiss before turning her face into the sheets and promptly passing out. Barry kissed her shoulder, smoothing his hand up and down her arms. He thought about how badly he’d always wanted this, wanted to hear her say those words. He laid his face down against her soft skin and inhaled her, filling his nostrils with the smell of sex and their combined scent. He realized she was snoring right before everything went black. 

When Barry woke up on his futon the next morning, wiping the slobber off his chin, the first thing he noticed was that the room smelled like sex. Intense, athletic sex. Brody must be back. He looked over and saw that he was; his mouth hung open like he was catching flies and one leg dangled haphazardly off his bed. Whatever skeezer was there last night, she had been banished now. Brody didn’t usually like to see their faces in the morning, and Barry was grateful for it. 

He got up to empty his beer-filled bladder and when he went it was…weird. It was the way he “went” after he…well, you know. He saw himself in the mirror. He was bruised up, and had some other strange scratch marks he couldn’t explain.

“Are those…fingernails?” Iris was awake and peering at him suspiciously when he came out, her hair mussed and sheets tangled, apparently from tossing and turning. 

“I, uh, I-“ Barry could only stutter. 

“What the hell happened last night? I don’t remember diddly squat after that last Tallboy.”

“I told you that PBR would do you in.” She chuckled, then groaned as a sharp headache lanced through her forehead. Barry dutifully fetched her aspirin, water, and a greasy breakfast from the cafeteria. 

“You’re so good to me!” She moaned as she turned on her side and shoveled eggs into her mouth with her fingers. He noticed her smudged lipstick and flashes of a kiss between them came to him. It was so strange…it seemed so real, not just something from his dreams (he ought to know; she was in them often enough).

Iris’ eyes twinkled as she looked at him. “You have lipstick on your lips,” she teased.

“Who the hell did I make out with last night?” He was starting to get an idea about just that. 

“Oh my God, you made out with somebody! Spill.” Little did Iris know, it seemed like he had done more than just kissed. Hazy flashes of the two of them _together_ darted in and out of his memory, but that couldn’t be. Was he going crazy? 

“Hey, what do you remember from last night?”

She waved her hand over her head, fingers fluttering dismissively. “Ugh. Keg stands and beer pong, and ooh, Lil’ Wayne was playing and I got my twerk on! Maybe that’s why I’m so sore; I haven’t danced in forever. After that, nothing. How the hell did we even get back?”

“I carried you, bridal style.”

“Oh,” she broke out giggling. “I’m glad I have my big, strong best friend to carry me home like the Disney princess I am!”

Barry smiled, but he still couldn’t figure out how real those images were. “Iris, are you sure you don't remember anything else? Anything at all?”

Her eyes rolled upward, thoughtful. “No.”

“Because I, I feel like…is it just me, or did we…do some things that maybe we weren’t supposed to do last night?”

“Some things like what, go cow tipping?”

“Not exactly.” That soreness she was talking about…was not from dancing. 

He recounted to her how they went to the party and she did a keg stand or three- “That part I remember,” she quipped with a grin.

“We were both drunk but you were _really_ gone so I decided we needed to go home. We went to get our coats and you made a move on me.”

“I what?”

“I think you pulled me down on the bed and made out with me. I think it led to…other things.” She stared at him for a moment. He looked back at her, trying to keep his cheeks from blooming pink, trying to gauge her reaction, fearing what it may be. 

She erupted into laughter. “You big fibber.”

“I'm not lying,” he said, laughing a bit himself from pure nerves. He scratched the back of his neck in his classic nervous gesture of choice. 

“You had me for a minute there.”

“Seriously-”

“Seriously, Barry,” she cut him off, her voice grave, “you never have to worry about me crossing the line like that. You’re my best friend and I’d never put you in such an uncomfortable position. It just isn't me.” She spoke as if it were the worst thing in the world. It wounded him. Maybe he was wrong about the whole thing. Maybe he wanted her too much. Maybe he dreamt it. 

“Okay. Thanks for protecting my virtue.” His voice was soft and so was his smile, because he could barely force himself to use either. When Iris laughed and added, “Gotta keep your good reputation intact,” He turned back to the bathroom. He couldn’t let her see how much it broke his heart. 

Before he knew it, she was leaving him. Once again he lugged her excessive baggage, trailing behind her to where the taxi sat idling.

Iris tilted her face up and gazed at him as she prepared to step into the cab and out of his reach once again. “I miss you already.” It was the same beautiful fall day, the wind picking up a few of the golden leaves that had started to fall. Its blew through Iris’ hair as before, making it billow out to her right, a few errant strands crossing her face, settling between her glossy lips. She looked like something out of a magazine. Barry gently tucked the stray strands behind her ear, making her smile. 

“Same here. You have no idea.” She really, truly didn’t. 

She wrapped him in a firm hug and pressed her lips to his cheek in a soft kiss. Barry couldn’t help but feel warm. She climbed in the cab, and like that, she was gone. He’d probably talk to her again in a couple of days, but it just wasn’t the same without her there to put her arms around him. He felt sadder, emptier than he had in a long time. Something about her leaving him this time…He felt more longing for her than he thought he ever had, which was saying something. It was like their tie was being severed.

He sighed and went to get back on the collegiate grind. 

 

A few weeks later Barry had pulled an all-nighter, but not the academic kind. The new Call of Duty had just come out. He’d been making all kinds of noise and talking all kinds of shit into the wee hours of the morning while Brody slept across the tiny room. 

“Sorry if I was making too much noise last night, Man. COD and all that.”

“Hey, no worries, Bro. Nothing could be as bad as when you and your girlfriend went at it. Yeah, you guys damn near broke the bunk. It was cracking and banging up against the wall and everything. I didn’t sleep a wink. I did beat off though.” Barry gave him a disgusted look. “Hey, the way you two were going at it, it couldn’t be helped. It’s your own fault really.”

“When I brought Patty back here you beat off…” Barry shook his head and laughed. Sophomoric. Literally. But did he even go that far with Patty? It didn’t seem like it. She hadn’t held his interest. “I never dated her.”

“No, not the blonde chick. The one you always claimed to be just friends with. Iris.”

Barry heart dropped into his stomach. It wasn’t possible. He told Brody as much. “You’re wrong, it wasn't her. That’s not possible.”

“Dude, I know what I heard. ‘Iris, it’s so good, Iris, it’s so good’,” he mimicked Barry’s voice in a sickening high-pitched tone, making a mocking face like the frat boy he was.  

Barry sat down, hard. “Wait…what _exactly_ did you hear?”

His roommate snorted and looked off. “Uhhh, let’s see, quick summary? Two fuckin’ drunks wake me up out of my own blackout-induced sleep. There’s making out, then there’s face riding, then there’s holes in the fucking drywall where the bunk kept hitting it.”

“Oh my God. Oh my God!” Barry’s hands slapped the sides of his head, and as the memories flooded back to him panic started to build. He hadn’t been imagining things at all. “Did you tell anybody?”

“Didn’t have to. You guys weren’t exactly what I call subtle.”

“Shit, shit, shit, shit.”

“What, you don’t remember? _Brutal._ ”

A million and one thoughts ran though Barry’s head. All the years of fantasizing about this, and he forgot?! Iris made the first move, and she forgot?! She said she’d never go there. She didn’t want to go there. _Where does that leave me?_ he asked himself, pathetically. 

Iris, sober, clear-thinking Iris didn’t want to cross the line with him. As much as it broke his heart, maybe he should just forgot about the whole thing. Again. 

He decided to put it out of his mind. It was best for all parties involved. _I’ll never be the same again, but y’know, that’s fine, whatever._

He spent the rest of the day trying to piece together all that he could remember in his mind, and moping. Then a thought hit him. One that should have been the first thing on his mind.

What if Iris was… _Oh my God._

He had no idea whether or not he’d used any protection. He thought he might have recalled Iris mentioning birth control, but they never got into the gritty details of each other’s sex lives (not that he really had one to speak of). He wasn’t sure what the likelihood was, but it certainly wouldn’t do for her to look up in a few months and think some sort of immaculate conception had gone on.

It took him a lot of pacing and a lot of searching for the right combination of words and the right tone, and when he finally got up the courage to make the call it still didn’t come out right. 

“Iris, I, uh, I need to talk to you.” His hands were shaking so hard he nearly dropped the phone.

“What’s the matter, Bear?”

“I was so glad to see you, you know that? When you came. I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you. I mean, I knew it was a lot, I just didn’t know how much, and then we had such an amazing weekend-“

“Barry, what are you talking about? Is everything alright?” Nothing was alright.

“You remember how you had all those guys trying to get in your pants and you kept saying they weren’t me? We went to that party and it was like you had this epiphany that you wanted me-“ his voice stuck in his throat at the thought, “-but when I told you we might have-“ he gulped,”- _done_ something the next day you thought I was joking.”

“Yessssss…” 

“Iris, please try not to murder me. I need to ask you something very important.”

“You’re scaring me. What is it, Bear?” He could hear the concern rise in her voice. 

“So, uh, y-you, uh,” he stammered.

 

“You wouldn’t happen to know if you’re pregnant, would you?”

 

Barry was home with her, holding her hand after she took the tests. They sat on the cold tile of the bathroom floor, shoulder to shoulder, silent as the grave. They squeezed their intertwined fingers as they waited, tense and afraid, until the results came up.

Test one; one line. Test two; one line. Test three; one line. They each only had one line. No baby. 

Barry and Iris collapsed against each other with relief. Now, though, quite the talk was in order. 

“Barry-“

“Iris-“ They started at the same time, interrupting each other. 

“Look,” Iris said. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

“Sorry? Why?”

“I’m not sorry that it happened, Bear. I’m sorry it happened the way it did. You deserve better than me  making drunken passes at you and forgetting about it in the morning, then making you feel like I would be disgusted to be with you. That’s the exact opposite of how I feel. You know I’ve always loved you. I had all these different guys trying to talk to me and it was nice to feel attractive, but every time I was comparing them to you, and every time,” she balled up her fist and tapped it onto her palm, “every time, they came up short. I guess…I guess I just was too much of a coward to show you how deep it went until then.” 

Barry squinted, tilted his head like a confused puppy, and tried to process. Iris was serious. They were both sober, and he was wide awake, and she was serious. On her next deep inhale, Iris powered through. 

“I must have realized there are a lot of guys out there. A lot of good ones, like your nerdy friends. A lot of not-so-good ones, like Brody. No matter what, I always come back to you. You’re the best of them. You always have been. Barry…I want _you_.”

Barry looked up and away, his eyes stinging with tears. 

“This can't be my life,” he muttered, completely astonished and overwhelmed. 

Iris’ face fell. She turned away. “If I messed everything up, I’m sorry. I hope you’ll forgive me someday-“

“Are you crazy?” Barry grabbed her hands and pulled her back. “Iris, I love you more than anything. I love you in every way possible. I just never wanted to hold out hope that you felt the same way about me, because I didn’t want to ruin us. But I do, I want you. You could never want me as much as I’ve always wanted you.”

She took a step towards him, tentative, but resolute.

“Barry, I don’t think we _can_ be ruined.” She smoothed her hands along the front and shoulders of his shirt, straightening it lovingly, like she was already his wife. “I don’t like that it was something we forgot-that _I_ forgot-but at the same time, what if it’s given us a chance to start over? I want to do this thing right. So, would you like to get dinner with me?”

“I would like that, yes.” Barry stood there grinning like a damn idiot until Iris broke the silence.

“Are you gonna kiss me or not?”

She stood on her tiptoes so their lips could press together. Barry met her halfway, leaning down to crush his mouth to hers. This kiss was sweet, pure. It was crisp and clean as the fall air that swirled in through the open window. 

 

This was a kiss neither would ever forget.

 

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked it, please let me know! I agonized about finishing this thing for months. ha ha


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